Web pages that include audio files are often downloaded from a server. The audio files are sometimes activated when a user initially opens the Web page within an Internet browser window. Alternatively, an audio file can automatically be played when a user selects a file play option labeled so that the user is aware that the audio file will thus be played. In some Web page designs, there may be no indication that an audio file is associated with an object, but by selecting the object with a cursor, the audio file is automatically played. A user would clearly expect an audio file to be played if a label or graphics that is displayed with an object or option includes an audio file name with an extension indicating that the file is, for example, an MPEG-1 or MPEG-2, layer 3 (.mp3) file or a Windows Media Audio (.wma) file. However, a user may be surprised when simply selecting an object in a Web page with the cursor, causes an audio file to be played, if the association of the object with an audio file is not visually apparent to the user. Clearly, the use of an audio file in connection with an object on a Web page in this manner provides a more interesting experience for a user interacting with the Web page and is a desirable design option when creating a Web page.
Audio files can comprise music, or text. Requiring a user to actually select or place a cursor on an object, or other portion of a display to initiate play of an associated audio file (i.e., when the existence of the audio file is not indicated to the user) may preclude the user from actually discovering that option. Unless the user actually moves the cursor onto the object, or portion of an image, the audio file will not play and the user will not be rewarded with hearing the content of the audio file. Accordingly, it would be preferable to instead enable a user to discover audio files associated with one or more objects or portions of a displayed image by providing a more free form of interaction with the displayed image that enables the user to more readily hear any audio file provided. It would be desirable to provide a Web page or other displayed image in which an audio file can be initiated to play when the cursor is moved within a predefined distance of an object with which the audio file is associated, since this approach should greatly expand the opportunity for a user to discover and listen to the audio file. It would also be preferable to enable the user to control the volume when the audio file is playing, simply by moving the cursor closer to the object or portion of the image displayed to increase the volume, or further away to reduce the volume.
The designer of a Web page or other displayed image or the user may want to control various parameters related to this feature. Accordingly, it would also be desirable to enable the user to define parameters such as the number of objects on a Web page or displayed image with which an audio file can be associated, the maximum distance from the object at which the cursor can cause play of the audio file to be initiated, and the number of audio files that can be simultaneously played in response to the proximity of the cursor. These and other parameters should be selectable to enable the designer and/or the user to control the functionality of the feature. For example, the designer or user may not want to hear more than one audio file at a time, to avoid a possible cacophony caused by the sounds of multiple audio files heard at the same time.
A person designing a Web page should be able to designate the objects or portions of the Web page with which audio files are associated and of course, should be able to choose the audio file associated with each such object or portion of a displayed image. It might be desirable to automatically assign default parameter values for this functionality when used on a Web page or displayed image, but enable a designer to make changes to the default parameters, as deemed appropriate. Moreover, it seems preferable that a user should ultimately be able to choose the parameters that control how a Web page or other displayed image is experienced by the user.
As should be evident, this same functionality would be desirable in other applications besides an Internet browser that is displaying Web pages. Although many other software programs in which it may be applicable readily come to mind, an application such as a word processing program could also use this concept, for example, to enable a user to access various help options in a help menu. Thus, in much the same manner as noted above in connection with a Web page, it would be desirable to enable an audio file to be played and to control its volume as a function of the distance of the cursor from an object or portion of a displayed image with which the audio file is associated, in almost any type of software application, enabling the user to readily interactively explore the displayed image. An audio file used in a displayed image of a software application might provide simple instructions about a specific option, or might instruct a user about how to access further features related to an object or portion of the displayed image. Clearly, the range of content provided by an audio file associated with an object or portion of an image displayed to a user is virtually limitless, which makes this concept particularly powerful and useful.